Suction-roll for paper-machines



' 3Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. B. BENHAM. SUCTION ROLL FOR. PAPER MACHINES.

No. 483,340 Patented Sept. 2-7, 1892.

(No Model) 3 Sheets-Sheet; 2L

E. B. BENHAM. suc'rmu ROLL FOR PAPER MACHINES. No. 483,340. Patented Sept. 27,1892. i iii-SF e sw- 5 e w B "I N ref g .-/\/\M\L I l R A g k m x 1Qz d c h e w N 1 C N Wi/Zi'zwsas k a? 6. M

(No Model.) 3.Sheets--Sheet 3.

E. B. BENHAM; SUCTION ROLL FOR PAPER MACHINES.

N0. 483,340. Patented Sept. 27, 1892.

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELUAH B. BENI-IAM, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO ROSWELL M. FAIRFIELD, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SUCTION-ROLL FOR PAPER-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,340, dated September 27, 1892.

Application filed September 9, 1891. Se1'ialNo.405,159- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELIJAH B. BENHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented new and useful Improvements in Suction-Rolls for Paper- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to paper-making machinery, the object being to provide for paper-machines improved suction-rolls for use in said machines in place of the suction-boxes heretofore employed for extracting water or moisture from the paper-stock as it is carried along by the wire web or apron; and the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of said suction-rolls and devices co-operating therewith, all as hereinafter fully described, and more particularly referred to in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of a pair of suction-rolls for a paper-machine embodying my improvements, said figure showing portions of the side rails of the frame of such a machine, air-cutoff blocks attached to said rails, a portion of the wire-cloth apron of a paper-machine partly broken away over said rolls, and other devices hereinafter fully described. Fig. l is a perspective view of the outer end of one of said cut-off blocks and its supporting-bracket. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of one of said suction-rolls and sectional views of other parts hereinbelow described. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the aircut-otf blocks of a roll and of one of said rolls beyond said blocks. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of said cut-off blocks and their supporting devices. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of said rolls and a side view of one of said rail parts and an edge view of the wire apron. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of said rolls and of one of said cut-off blocks about midway between the ends thereof and showing an edge View of said apron, the other of said blocks being shown between the rolls. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of one of said rolls, showing a portion thereof broken away and having indicated thereon in dotted lines other parts of the roll, as below described. Fig. 8 is a sectional and Fig. 9 a perspective View of the air-valve of a roll.

The essential object of this invention is to provide a pair of rolls peculiarly constructed for a paper-machine, each one of which is substantially a rotating suction-box, for extracting moisture from the paper-stock which is carried along over said rolls by the usual wire-cloth or apron. The engagement of said apron with the surfaces of said rolls serves to rotate them, thus obviating the employment of the usual suction-box and the frictional and wearing effect which is produced when said apron is drawn across said box, all as below set forth.

In the drawings, 2 indicates parts of the side rails of the frame of a paper-machine.

The suction-rolls above referred to are indicated by 3, and each of said rolls is constructed as follows: A tubular center piece 4, preferably of sheet-brass, is provided, having a series of longitudinal ribs 5 thereon, extending from end to end, thereby forming aseries of grooves or chambers a between said ribs. A tubular exterior covering 6, also preferably of sheet-brass, is provided and tightly fixed on said ribbed center piece to constitute the outer shell of the roll and has therein a series of longitudinal or other suitably-formed perforations c. Said perforations c are so arranged and located in said shell 6 that they are found in those parts thereof which constitute the outer walls of the chambers, which are thus formed between the said ribs 5 on the center piece 4, and said perforations constitute passages through which water and air may enter said chambers, induced by the exhaustive effect of a suitable air-exhausting pump which may be connected to said roll, as below described. A metallic head 7, having air conduits or channels c therein, communicating with each of said chambers a of the roll, is firmly bolted or otherwise secured to one end thereof, the air-conduits in which extend, as shown in Fig. 2, from the outer end of the hub of said head to the inner face thereof, and one of said conduits terminates opposite one end of each one of said chambers a. The opposite end of the roll is tightly closed by a metallic head 8, having a suitable journal or hub o thereon, which is bolted ,or otherwise suitably secured to the roll. The said channeled roll-head is provided with a long journal d, which projects from the centralportion of its hub, as shown in Fig.2. Each of said rolls 3 is supported on' two pillar-blocks 9 or other similar suitable devices, in which are bearings or boxes for said journals d and o, and said pillar-blocks are provided with suitable bases, as shown. An airvalve 10 is placed loosely on the journal d between the hub of said roll-head 7 and said pillar-block 9, havingtherein an air-chamber h, (see Figs.

2, 8, and 9,) which is connected with an exhaust-pipe J, apd a curved slot or port 2 through the side of said valve adjoining the end of the hub of said head 7 communicates successively with certain of the open ends of said channels in said head when the rolls 3 are rotated. The said pipe J is connected to any suitable air-exhausting device. The operative relations of said air-valve 10,together with the position of its said port a, are such that the open ends of the air-conduits e of the roll-head 7 are all closed against the said air-exhausting orvacuum action above reand above the axes of the rolls and under that portion of the wire-cloth web D which overlies said last-named chambers and which has contact with the suction-rolls, as shown in said Fig. 6,to the endthatthethin mass of wet paper stock or pulp which is carried over said rolls on the wirecloth shall have the water extracted therefrom. During said waterextract-in g action of the rolls 3 more or less air, with water and moisture from said paper-stock, enters the chambers a of the roll through said perforations c in the outer roll-shell 6, but is discharged therefrom through the same perforations as the chambers move around under the axis of the roll and are cut off from the airexhaust connections above described.

In order to maintain a proper vacuum in said space between the suction-rolls above their axes and beneath the wire-cloth apron D, which overlies said space, the aircut-off blocks K K, made, preferably, of sheet-brass, are supported adj ustably between said rolls, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The form of said blocks is clearly shown in Fig. 1, 1, 3, 4t, 5, and 6, and exteriorly thesides thereof are concavely curved to permit them to be adjusted to positions as close as practicable to the surfaces of the rolls, whereby they shall serve to cutoff and prevent the entrance of air up wardly between the rolls into said vacuumspace under the wire-cloth apron. Said blocks are constructed to have their inner extremities overlie each other, as shown in Figs. 3

and 4, and said extremities are preferably united by a dovetail or similar interlocking engagement, as shown, whereby their adj oining parts toward those parts of the rolls centrally between the ends of the latter shall be sustained against sagging or deflection. Said blocks are also constructed, preferably, with shallow grooves or channels at, extending spirally within those portions of their surfaces which lie next to the surfaces of the rolls from the ends of the blocks to their lower edges, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The purposeof said channels 0?. is to gather more or less water therein from the surface of the roll and assist in retaining a certain quantity therebe sides of the rolls and serves as a bearing for I the borders of the wire-cloth apron D, as shown in Fig. 1. The heads or outer extremities of said blocks fill the space, as shown,

between the border of said apron and the surfaces of the rolls directly beneath it, and thus cut off the entrance of air under said apron at that point.

In order to facilitate the escape of water that may drip onto the upper sides of the cutoff blocksor that may be thrown thereon from erably deflected or made with surfaces downwardly inclined from the inner edges of said plane faces to toward a central point therebetween. Any water which tends to collect on the blocks between the rolls enters the chambers a through the perforations c in said rolls, and is discharged therefrom by centrifugal force while the rolls revolve. The said outoif blocks are supported in their proper positions, as described, by a stiif bracket 12, which one of the rolls, thesaid upper sides are pref- IIO is bolted or otherwise rigidly attached, as

shown, to the side rail 2 of the papermachine or to other suitable fixed part thereof. The bolt-holes of the arm of said bracket are elongated to permit of the adjustment of the cutoff block to positions more or less removed from the border of the wire-cloth apron D, according to the width of the paper-stock mass which is carried thereon, so that the inner edge of the plane surface 20 ot' the block shall be brought slightly under the border of said mass and properly act to cut off any passage from the surface of the rolls, the part of the bracket 12 which is attached to the end of the block is bolted thereto by screws likewise passing through elongated holes, as shown in I 5 Fig. 1.

In practice the usual wire-cloth apron D, upon which the paper-stock is delivered from the stuff-chest of the papermachine, moves, with its overlying wet stock, and bears upon said suction-rolls, and its impinging force thereon is essentially augmented by reason of the above-described vacuum under that part thereof which extends over the rolls, and consequently the latter are caused to rotate with a speed coinciding with the longitudinal movement of said apron.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A suction-roller for paper-machines, consisting of a tubular center having a series of longitudinal ribs on its exterior surface, a tubular shell covering said ribs, thereby forming a series of exhaust-chambers therebetween having an opening therethrough opposit-e each of said chambers, a head for one end of said roll, having air-conduits therein correspondingin number to that of said chambers, extending from its outer side to its inner face and com municating with said chambers, a suitable head for the opposite end of said roll, and suitable journals and bearings for each head, combined with an air-valve, substantially as described,co-operating with said con- 3 5 duit-containing head and permitting air communication between a limited number of said exhaust-chambers and conduits during the rotation of said roll, air-cut-ofi blocks, substantially as described, located between said rolls, and a suitable air-exhaust device connected to said valve, substantially asset forth.

2. In a suction apparatus for paper-machines, a cylinder mounted for rotation and adapted to be peripherally borne upon by the passing apron and provided with a series of separated chambers which terminate in passages having their orifices at different places aroundtheperipheryofthecylinder,acommon conduit arranged for suction communication 5c with all of said separated chambers, and valve mechanism arranged between and relative to the said common conduit and said separated cylinder-passages, whereby as the cylinder rotates there will be established suction communication through such of said separated peripherally-terminating chambers as are adjacent the passing apron and a cut-off of the suction communication through such of the i said chambers as are not adjacent to said apron, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with two chambered suction-rolls for paper-machines, substantially as described, having rotary movements near each other, of two air-cut-oi't blocks supported between said rolls, having grooves within those portions of their surfaces which adjoin said rolls, said grooves extending from the ends of said blocks to their lower edges,

substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination, with two parallel sepa rated chambered suction-rolls for paper-machines, provided with series of suctionpassages which terminate at different peripheral portions of the roll and which have rotary movements near each other, of two air-cut-ofi blocks located and ranging longitudinally between and having bearings at their opposite sides lengthwise upon the sides of both of said rolls and having longitudinal sliding engagements the one with the other, said blocks having their portions which are adjacent the ends of the roll in the plane coincident with the upper peripheral portions of the rolls, their upper surfaces intermediate of the so-coinciding end surfaces being below said plane of coincidence, and adjustable supporting devices therefor, whereby said blocks may be moved for adjustment parallel with the axes of the suction-rolls to accord with the width of the paper-stock which may be passing over the rolls, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with two chambered suction-rolls for paper machines, provided with series of suction-passages which terminate at different peripheral portions of the roll and having rotary motions near each other, of two cut-oft blocks located between said rolls and having sidewise bearings peripherally thereon, and one thereof having a longitudinal dovetailed way and the other the longitudinal dovetailed rib for engagement therein, and each also having longitudinallyadjustable end supports, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with two chambered suction-rolls for papermachines, substantially as described,having rotary movements near each other, of two air-cut-off blocks sup ported between said rolls and preventing air from entering therebetween from beneath and between their ends, each of said blocks having an upper surface near the ends of said rolls substantially in a plane with the upper sides thereof and being downwardly inclined from the inner border of said upper surface to a central point between the outer ends of said blocks, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, in a paper nachine, of the apron and a parallel pair of suction-rolls having separated air-passages therein which terminate at difierent portions peripherally thereof, anda suction-conduit and valve mechanism for each roll, coacting with said separated passages, whereby a suction may bees tablished as the rolls rotate through such of the said passages as have their orifices toward the upper portion of the roll, and a block or part constituting a longitudinal partition in bearing upon and between the adjacentsides of the rolls, the same having its end portions in a plane substantially coincident with the tops of the rolls, but having its intermediate surface depressed, substantially as described.

IIO

8. The combination, with a suction-roll for a paper-machine, consisting of a tubular cylindrical shell havinga series of longitudinal ribs with intervening longitudinal chambers a and a surrounding cylindrical shell 6, having longitudinal slots or perforations c, a closinghead at one end, and a head at the other, which is provided with a series of passages e, that terminate in ports having a circular arrange- 1o ment, substantially as described, of asuctionpipe mounted relative to the roll and adapted to have at a given instant during the rotation of the roll an air communication with one or more of the said ports, substantially as and for the purpose described.

ELIJAH B. BENHAM.

Witnesses:

H. A. CHAPIN, WM. S. BELLOWS. 

